An Appeal From The Death Row

An Appeal from The Death Row
Perarivalan

(RAJIV MURDER CASE - THE TRUTH SPEAKS)
A.G. PERARIVALAN
Thiruvalluvar Periyar Maanuda Ondriyam

11, K.K. Thangavel Street, Periyar Nagar, Jolarpettai - 635 851 Telephone : 04179-241503
E-mail : arputham48@yahoo.com
INDEX
Pages I II Introduction Forewords by 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. III IV V
Title : An Appeal from The Death Row Author : A.G. Perarivalan Publishers : Thiruvalluvar Periyar Maanuda Onriyam, 11, K.K. Thangavel Street, Periyar Nagar, Jolarpettai -635 851. Tel : 04179-241503 Second Edition : March, 2008 Printer: Jothy Enterprises, Triplicane, Chennai-5 Typeset : Aaval Design, Chennai - 2 Cover Design : Prakash Pages : 104 Rs.50/-
Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer Justice H. Suresh Mr. Kuldip Nayar Mr. P. Nedumaran Dr. S. Ramadoss Mr. Vaiko Mr. Kolathoor T.S. Mani Mr. Henri Tiphagne
5 6-10 11 12-13 14-15 16-19 20-21 22-24 25 26-70
Publishers note Letter of Appeal by A.G. Perarivalan Annexures-I Humble Review letter by A.G. Perarivalan Annexures-II
71-97 98-104
Perarivalan
INTRODUCTION
A Voice against death penalty is heard from the death row itself. PERARIVALAN not only raises his voice against capital punishment in general, but also strongly argues against the rope of death hanging over his own head for more than fifteen years. A judgement ought not to be regarded as ultimate and absolute truth just because the Supreme Court has pronounced it. This can be said with added emphasis when it comes to 'TADA' cases. One aspect of the TADA Act that fetters justice is that it narrows down the opportunities for the accused to defend himself/herself. Another such aspect is that it denies the opportunity to appeal to the High Court, thereby pulling off one step of appeal. This letter from PERARIV ALAN may be considered an appeal to well-meaning people all over the land that makes up the said lacuna. The reader should be impressed with the way he presents his arguments steadily and firmly even though he is standing in the shadow of the gallows. As we go through his presentation where pieces of internal evidence from the Supreme Court's Judgment itself are paraded one by one. We cannot but feel that PERARIVALAN would have been acquitted and sent home had there been one more chance of appeal. We are moved by the great agony of his parents due to his conviction and the death sentence hanging over his head. We assert: we are with them! we will do all we can to rescue this fine young man in order to let him fly the free skies and work for the good of others! The wealth of men who love the fitting way, the truly wise; is as when water fills the Lake that village needs supplies.
(Thirukkural. 215)
V.R. KRISHNA IYER

(Former Judge, Supreme Court)
Fax and Phone: 04842370088 ''SATGAMAYA" M.G. ROAD, ERNAKULAM KOCHI . 682 011. Email: satgamaya@dataone.in (Website: www.vrkrishnaiyer.org)
JUSTICE V.R. KRISHNA IYER'S FOREWORD

PERARIVALAN is now under sentence of death in the Vellore Jail. His soul is precious, his values noble, his jail life has not made him a criminal. Indeed, he redeems his colleagues and his book is evidence of the noble work of the man. He has made an appeal against death sentence. I agree with him that death sentence is no longer valid in putting an end to murder. Life is dear and given by God. Man, as Gandhiji put it has no right to take it away. I support this stand and hope that like many other countries India too will abolish death sentence. (V.R. KRISHNA IYER) 2006 July 31.
Chennai 26-12-2006
- THIAGU
Perarivalan
FOREWORD
TADA and POTA are terrorist laws; but they have terrorised and traumatised several innocent lives. The law has no provision for prevention of terrorist acts. It comes into operation after an act of terrorism takes place, by which time, in most cases, the terrorists are killed. In almost all cases filed under TADA or POTA, the real terrorists are never apprehended or tried; either they are killed by the police or they manage to escape abroad. Generally, the police have no clue; they grope in darkness. They start with a theory and try to build up a case on that basis. They say that is the truth, and the media propagates what the police believe in, and the Courts are persuaded to accept this as true, the casualty being real justice. This is what happened in Mumbai. When the serial bomb blasts took place on 12th March, 1993, the real culprits had already left the country. The police came with a theory that it was a large conspiracy. In the case, they indicted 194 persons as conspirators - as if a conspiracy, in secrecy, could be hatched in such large numbers. Finally, they prosecuted 123 persons, as the rest could not be traced. The case went on for an unduly long period - 13 years. Most of the accused had been denied bail. The Judge took 3 years, after all arguments were over on either side, to arrive at his findings. Then he began an unusual procedure of giving judgement by installments, and accused by accused, as if each was called to a sermon on his/her crime. He convicted in all, 100 accused persons, and acquitted the remaining 23. In the meanwhile all human rights of the victims as also the accused came to be violated. The conviction or acquittal made little difference to the victims or the accused. Years ago, we had the prohibition law - it corrupted the police. Now for more than two decades, we have "terrorist" laws - it only made the police autocratic. They found a new tool - the tool of extracting confessions, which was alien to our criminal jurisprudence. Confessions recorded by a police officer have, even under the British, 6
been barred as inadmissible on the ground that torture by the police is widespread,routine and uncontrollable. That is why both under the Criminal Procedure Code and the Indian Evidence Act, no statement made to the police could be admitted in a trial. This principle was elevated to a Constitutional right - a right not to be compelled to be a witness against oneself (Art. 20(3)). This was changed in TADA and POTA on the facile assumption that since confessions would be made only to a senior officer, that was a sufficient safeguard to ensure a fair trial. The police have now lost the art of investigation. TADA and POTA could have been struck down as a draconian, irrational and unjust law on the anvil of Menaka Gandhi's case (1978). Instead TADA was upheld in Kartar Singh's case (1993) and POTA in PUCL v. Union of India (2003). This has only encouraged the police to use torture as a regular means of extracting confessions and to try to prove the case on the basis of confessions alone. Fortunately, the Court has always shown its reluctance to convict anyone on the basis of confessions only . Yet there are aberrations. One such case is the case of A.G. Perarivalan, Death Row inmate, Prisoner No. 13906, Central Prison, Vellore. A.G. Perarivalan (referred to in the case as Arivu, Accused No.18) was an accused in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. Here also the persons who executed the crime, Dhanu, Sivarasan, Suba, all had escaped arrest. Dhanu died on the spot. Sivarasan and Suba committed suicide in Bangalore. Again the police inquiry began with the analysis of the bomb. Even today, there is no satisfactory evidence as to who could have prepared the bomb. However, Arivu was arrested because he had bought a 9-volt battery cell, which would be easily available in petty shops and is used in day-to-day life. But he had the educational qualification - a Diploma in Electronics and Communications Engineering, that was sufficient. The police had only to prove that he was the one who prepared the bomb. This they did through his confessional statement, recorded at the fag end of the 60th day of police custody, legitimised by S.15 of TADA. The police had terrorised him, the very day he was arrested. Here are some of the extracts of his statement as to how he was tortured. I am specifically setting out
Perarivalan
these statements only to show how inhuman the police would become with this power to extract confessions : "....I was brought to the ground floor, I was forced to remove' my pants and shorts and stand with 'Jatty'. At that time the inspector Sundara Rajan and two others (I don't remember their names) beat my bare body with his palms. One of them crushed my toes with his shoe. Suddenly inspector Sundar Raj kicked at my testicles with his knees. I simply fell down' with great pain. They continued their torture asking about incidents which were unknown, unrelated to me.... " ".... The next day I was taken to a place called 'torture chamber' in the upstairs of Malligai office and was handed over to Inspectors Ramesh, Madhavan, Chelladurai and D.S.P Sivaji. These officers were notorious in torture at Malligai. Food and water were refused to me. I was not even allowed to pass urine... " ...Inspectors Madhavan and Ramesh directed me to stretch my hands, bend my knees and stand in a posture as if I was sitting in a chair. I was forced to be in that posture for long time. They were beating the back muscles of my legs with a stick using a PVC pipe filled with cement, Inspector Chelladurai forced me to stretch my elbows and beat them strongly. Inspectors Madhavan and Chelladurai were notorious for using vulgar and obscene words. ... ' .... There was one person by name D.S.P. Krishnamoorthy. He also tortured me. But he adopted a different measure of torture. He forced me to sit on the floor with my back against the wall. He directed one guard to hold one of my legs close to the wall. He got hold of the other leg and forced the leg towards the wall making an angle of 1800 between the two legs. Words can not describe my pain experienced at that time.... " Inspector T.N. Venkateswaran also tortured me. He placed a pencil as well as small sticks between my fingers and rotate them by pressing the fingers. He inserted pins into my finger nail. He crushed the toes of my legs with his shoes. He tortured me such 'skilful' methods..." 8
... .During the custody I was denied water. They told me that they would deny water till I accept their false accusations. Later they would pour small quantities of water into my mouth. They did not permit me to sleep at nights. I was handed over to the custody of special guards to ensure that I did not sleep at nights. They would pour water on my face whenever I started sleeping. Even food was used as their torture weapon. I was tortured like this during the unlawful custody..." In every bomb blast case the police have resorted to these methods of third degree torture - even worse, as in the Mumbai bomb-blast case (1993). The police have even brought women-folk, being members of the family of the accused, made them strip themselves and compelled the accused to do obscene acts, etc. In all such instances, the accused finally succumb to the situation and sign confessional statements. So also, Arivu finally signed the document as prepared by the police. The Supreme Court, rightly held that as against the accused, including Arivu, the TADA charges were not sustainable. However, the Judges said that the accused could be convicted under S.302 Indian Penal Code together with S. 120-B, etc. for conspiracy. What is the evidence for the charge of conspiracy? The evidence clearly indicated that if at all there could be any conspiracy to kill Rajiv Gandhi, it was confined to Dhanu, Sivarasan and Suba. As far as the rest of the accused who have been convicted by the Supreme Court, the only evidence was respective confessional statements recorded under TADA, which could not have been admissible in evidence in respect of charges under the Indian Penal Code! The only other evidence against Arivu was his buying a 9-volt battery cell. It appears that Justice Wadhwa had observed (at page 87 of his judgement) that "no complaint was made before the trial court that confession was the result of any coercion, threat or use of any third degree methods or even playing upon the psychology of the accused." This was contrary to the fact that such complaints were all on record. However, this also shows how naive the judges were in that they could think that the accused would so voluntarily make a statement confessing their guilt, as if the atmosphere in a police station could be so free and fair!
Perarivalan
Arivu, when he was arrested, was a 19 year old boy. He is now 34 years and his behavior in the jail has been exemplary . He has continued his education to become a Bachelor of Computer Applications.(BCA). He is the only son of his aged parents. He has been in jail for 15 years with a sword handing over his head, which in itself is the worst violation of human rights. I recall what Mrs. Gladys Staines, when told of the death of her husband and two children at the hands of bigots, could say: "May God forgive them". Such is her nobility. It appears that Mrs. Sonia Gandhi has also categorically stated that she does not want these accused to be hanged. It is for the President to exercise his power of clemency. In the case of A.G. Perarivalan, he rightly deserves this power of clemency be extended to pardon him and release him. Fifteen years of imprisonment is too long a suffering for conviction of a crime based on slender and not so credible evidence. JUSTICE H. SURESH Former Judge, Bombay High Court
FOREWORD
That capital punishment is inhuman goes without saying. The worst part is that it perpetualities a madevial practice of tooth for tooth, life for life. The world has moved since that time and it has come to realise that snuffing out someone's life for meeting the ends of justice is not a civilised behaviour. Those who pursue religion faithfully have another thought: Man is nobody to take away the life which the Almighty gives. No sacred book preaches revenge to the extent of someone's killing which is all that capital punishment is about. Religion is a living element in today's culture, not an archaic piece in a museum. Confucious, probably the greatest of the Chinese sages, did not teach of God as such. Instead he taught a system of good conduct. Hanging a person for his misdeeds was not part of his teachings. There is yet another reason why capital punishment is not the correct way to punish the guilty. This is the chance of miscarriage of justice. There are a number of questions that have to be answered. Did the convict receive a fair trial? Were all the avenues and instruments of defence available to him? Has the evidence against him been clinching? Haven't the judge or judges considered any factors other than evidence in the case while meeting out the highest penalty? Does the crime he is proved to have committed deserve death? My plea is for abolition of capital punishment, Rule of law must prevail. But the law should not be seen as an instrument of cruelty and vindictiveness. I am not less concerned about victims of bomb blasts or other dastardly acts. But I am more concerned about the methods of punishing the guilty. A civilized society like India does not take a life. Wherever and however man has lived, from the time he became man, he has shown a belief in lofty moral goals. Capital punishment belies that. As many as 129 countries have abolished it. India should have done it long ago. Unfortunately, it has not. There is no reason why it should not do now when it encourages the culture of violence. Mumbai December 19, 2006 KULDIP NAYAR
10 An Appeal from The Death Row
Perarivalan
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FOREWORD A CONSCIENCE - KINDLER

In the shadow of the gallows, a book written by C.A. Balan, a communist leader, in those days, moved every readers heart. And then the present book written by brother Perarivalan can be said - without any exaggeration - to have raised the voice of justice not only in my mind but in every readers mind. The Designated Court in the Rajiv Gandhi murder case sentenced all the 26 accussed to death. World history has never recorded in any other country such wholesale death sentence on so many in a single case. We were shocked at this judgement and decided to move the Supreme Court of India. Our efforts, in short, grew into a peoples movement. We never went to big industrialists begging for money to conduct the case. The poor and the middle-class people contributed to the case-fund, and, with the help of senior advocate Mr. N. Natarajan, fought the case and secured the release of 19 of the accused. Of the remaining 7, three got life imprisonment and death by hanging was confirmed for four, one of whom is brother Perarivalan. We believe that neither Perarivalan nor the others waiting in the shadow of the gallows have anything to do with the Rajiv murder. It has to be specially noted that Perarivalan was brought up in a rationalist atmosphere in a family that followed the Periyar path unswervingly. His father Kuyildasan and mother Arpudham Ammal are steeped in the rationalist culture inculated by Periyar. They brought up their children in the same ethos. So Perarivalan cannot have been involved in this murder. Perarivalan who was trapped in this murder case as a 19 - yearold has been in the death row for more than 15 years undergoing untold mental agony and endless sufferings. And the present book is the result of his endeavour to prove his innocence by legal and just arguments.
There was no limit to the falsehoods spread by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the media influenced by it when the trial was on Perarivalan has, in this book, laid out his mind thereby clearing the cloud of falsehood and his voice rings aloud as the voice of justice. The way this book brings out his misery of having been forced to spend the prime of his youth in a prison hole under the shadow of the gallows is, no doubt, bound to arouse the conscientions ones.
15-12-2006 Chennai
P. Nedumaran President Thamizhar Desiya Iyakkam
Perarivalan
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FOREWORD HANGING IS ANATHEMA TO HUMAN CIVILISATION

The book AN APPEAL FROM THE DEATH ROW written by A.G. Perarivalan is a careful study of the death penalty itself. The ideas and substantiations he presents deserve the attention of all. I would like to utilise this occasion to put on record a real happening. Some time back Kadhir Bargeer, the police inspector of Osivara area in Mumbai, committed suicide out of mental frustration. Before killing himself he wrote a heart-rending letter of tears to his superiors. Eleven years back, when I was working as inspector at Osivara Police Station, a girl was raped to death within my jurisdiction. There was no idea of who the culprit was in this case. But the then District Superintendant of Police was insistently pestering me: why has the offender not yet been caught? Hurry up with the case. Implicate some one or the other in the case. I dont care what you do, but you must produce the accused in court tomorrow itself, or else, I will sack you. I didnt know what to do and diverted the blame. I implicated Arumugam, an innocent Tamil picking rags and prepared false evidence. I feel pained to have done so, innocent Arumugham is now in prison undergoing imprisonment for life. So says the last letter of the police inspector, who killed himself. The top officials and lawyers of Mumbai who read this letter immediately sprang into action and went through the Arumugam case files. Arumugam has been in prison for more than 11 years since his arrest in 1995. He committed no crime. Yet a court has sentenced him to imprisonment for life for rape and murder. Truth has come to light only because the officer who had registered the case committed suicide out of a guilty conscience. The Judges who realised they had 14 An Appeal from The Death Row
been misled have severely indicted the police. Arumugam, a Tamilian from Thiruppathur near Krishnagiri in Tamilnadu, was released from the Mumbai prison on 17-10-2006. Many more sad facts in this regard severely shock us. Had Arumugam been sentenced to death and had the sentence been executed how could the Court and the police have now released him? Civil society is very much interested in innocent people not being penalised. Most of the states have done away with capital punishment as it is anathema to human civilisation. Hanging serves no purpose other than taking the victims life and this is borne out by scientific data. Hence sociologists, jurists and psychologists in various countries of the world are staunchly opposed to the penalty of death asserting it to be contrary to social science. It is against this background that we peruse, study and reflect on this book, which, I am sure, will serve to build a civilised world without the penalty of death. 10-12-2006 Chennai Dr. S. Ramadoss Founder, Pattali Makkal Katchi
Perarivalan
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FOREWORD DOWN WITH OPPRESSIVE LAWS! HAIL PERARIVALAN IN HIS FIGHT FOR JUSTICE!
A nightingale of freedom which was singing the anthem of rights of the Tamil race has been imprisoned in a case and its miserable plight is heart-rending. Perarivalan is innocent, he has nothing to do with the crime of murder. Is it not the worst injustice that he is under the shadow of the hangmans rope, locked in a death cell? Perarivalans Appeal from The Death Row is a passionate voice of truth. The parade of unshakable grounds and strong arguments he places before us slap hard on the doors of our conscience. Is it the land we live in where the king put his beloved son to the chariot wheels in order to render justice to the cow which had, by pulling the bell of justice, complained about the death of its little one? Is the TADA act unleashing its reign of injustice on the land where Emperor Sibi offered his own flesh in order to save the pigeon that sought refuge? The prince was driving his chariot when it accidentally ran over a calf causing its death. The mother-cow represented to the king by ringing the bell of justice at the palace gate. Arur Chozha, the king, in order to render justice to the aggrieved cow put his own son Veedhi Vitanga to death by running the chariot wheel over him. And to this day the chief deity at the Thiruvarur Temple has the holy name of Lord Veedhi Vitanga in memory of the killed prince. Is it in such a great land that an innocent Perarivalan has the penalty of death imposed on him on the basis of his own educational qualification? In a Tamilnadu, betrayed by heartless beings who have no pity for their own suffering brethren, such highly capable and intelligent ones as Perarivalan have been victimised by TADA. This travesty of justice 16 An Appeal from The Death Row
must change. It is unthinkably tragic for one to be imprisoned at the tender age of 19, to spend 15 long years in the death cell (whereas life inprisonment entails just 14 years), missing the joys and pleasures of youth, being unable to help and support his aged parents whose efforts to hold at bay the death of their only son depress him in his solitary cell. The fact that state terrorism has bared its cruel fangs and ruthless teeth to injure justice, which is one of the great values that the human race has found, would stain our times in the temple of history. With the Goddess of Justice, who is blind - folded and metes out justice by weighing with the balance in hand, as the symbol, the Designated Court was carried away by the giant-size image of the deceased and passed wholesale death sentence on all the twenty-six accused, thereby belittling the glory of Law. It is rather right to argue that this is judicial assassination. This murder case was tried under the TADA act, at whose altar our democratic rights were sacrified. As the Supreme Courts judgement has made it clear that the provisions of the TADA act do not apply to this murder case, is it not just to reconsider the judgement based on the confession statements extgacted under duress and severe torture by the police officers under the same TADA act? A question this book induces us to raise! At a time when voices against death sentence are heard ever louder all over the world as a sign of the evolution of human civilization and as a manifestation of humanistic sentiments A.G. Perarivalan has put forth his Letter of Appeal against the death sentence passed on him. But for the allegation of having purchased a common battery cell, which is easily available in any petty shop, there is not an iota of evidence to connect this idealistic young man to the Sriperumpudur murder. It is indisputable that the Rajiv killing was a tragic event of history. But on this pretext the enemies of the Tamil nationality, the traitors to
Perarivalan
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the Eelam war of liberation, the careerists who, in the name of Tamil, seek power and wealth in their own self-interest, and the pseudomilitants who are engaged in betraying the real militants fighting the war of liberation with total dedication and absolute self-sacrifice - all these forces are unjustifiably perpetuating their stand of opposition to the liberation of Eelam. The prime of youth of an innocents life has been ruined. The cruelties and tortures perpetrated on Perarivalan in the name of interrogation were heart-rending. It is unpardonable that the cruelties committed by the evil forces of Adolf Hitlers Gestapo were repeated in this land of democracy. As we come to know of the travails undergone in the prison cell our heart wails for this young man who, al as, has borne a punishment more cruel than death itself. Having been detained under the TADA act in the age of 19, having forfeited the spring of his youth in the prison cell by spending seven years as an undedrtrail and eight years as a condenmed prisoner (virtually a life imprisonment period in total), Perarivalan is not merely handing out a mercy petition! This is a documentation that exposes the unjustress of the TADA act itself. We finish reading this booklet of An Appeal from the Death Row with a heavy heart and wet eyes and feel a spark of rage against the death sentence on Perarivalan. Let this spark grow into a fire that burns down the iron grip strangling the voice of justice! Let it give the strength to win to Perarivalans parents stuggling with heartburns caused by old age and the weaginess of the life-saving battle. The wealth of Perarivalans intelligence which should have served the progress of our great Tamilnadu like the water of the common village tank, has instead been confined to the prison cell due to oppressive state terrorism. The days that this young man have unjustly lost are not going to be regained. But justice must be rendered to this innocent whose heart is broken by the false accusation and the prison pains.
He must be freed from the death row and come out of prison to breathe free air. The thorns stuck into the hearts of this younger brothers parents who have become emaciated by the day and are frozen in tears. This Appeal written by my beloved younger brother A.G. Perarivalan as a voice of repressed justice and with an array of facts which would shake any neutral mind, substantiating his innocence with documentary evidence, is bound to arouse the conscience of those who stand by humanism! Oh, the humanistic-minded whose conscience is alive, please lend your ears to the voie of SOS from the justice-seeking Perarivalan! Please help this innocent young man secure the light of justice! Thayagam, Chennai-8 2006 December 16. VAIKO General Secretary, MDMK
Perarivalan
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FOREWORD
Human Rights organisations and enthusiasts who have long been fighting for the abolition of death penalty in India may take hope from the fact that the Philippines, and Asian State, has totally abolished capital punishment there. Clorio Aroyo, the president of the Philippines has signed on 24.06.2006 the decree for abolishing death penalty, saving 1,200 death sentencees from the gallows. The Dinamani Report says: "The European Union, the Roman Catholic Church and Human Rights Organisations demanded that death penalty be abolished. President Aroyo accepted this demand and signed on Saturday the decree for abolishing death penalty. The immediate beneficiaries from this are the 1,200 inmates of the death row in the Philippine prisons" The Philippines, which earned freedom from the U.S.A. in 1946, have at present a population of 8.75 crores. Under the military rule of Ferdinand Marcos, the country faced numerous people's struggles in the period 1976-81. In the 14 provinces of Mindona, the-southern region of the Philippines, Muslims had been waging an armed struggle from 1972 upto 1996 demanding a separate state, in which 1,25,000 people (both the public and the militants) have been sacrificed. In 1996 the Government of the Philippines reached an agreement with the militants. Clorio Aroyo came to power as the new President in 2001 and the cabinet led by her approved the Bill for the Abolition of Death Penalty in 2002, which has now come into effect. Mr. K.Balagopal, the Human Rights protagonist from Andhra Pradesh speaking of the abolition of death penalty makes this point: "The Latin-American States, the South American states are faced with as many problems as India is. There is poverty. There is misery. There are crimes. There is armed struggle. Resistance, rebellion, terrorism all is there. But those states have abolished the capital punishment." (Dawn with death Penalty, Third Edition, P.154). 20 An Appeal from The Death Row
We would like to repeat the same. The Philippines with its population of 8.75 crores, much less than that of India, had 1,200 prisoners under the penalty of death. It has now abolished capital punishment itself. India with its population of 100 crores, has at present 1,040 prisoners under the penalty of death. If in the Philippines where crimes are relatively more rampant can do away with capital punishment, why not India ? PERARIVAIAN has been undergoing untold miseries and mental agony as an undertrial prisoner for 7 years and has a death sentence for 8 years in the Rajiv Gandhi murder Case. In this respect, Justice Chinnappa Reddy may be quoted: " If one is left waiting for more than three years in fear for the execution of his death sentence, he cannot be hanged. His sentence must be commutted." (Mandozhika Marana Thandanai, P137) If you read this letter of appeal from PERARIVALAN, you are most likely to develop a doubt. " Judicial Judgements are some times proof to mistakes. Hence there is also much Possibility of judicial murders. Many cases have been reported by England and the US where innocence was established through evidence collected after execution. Where then can the life of the hanged innocent be rescued." (Mandozhika Marana Thandanai, P8). Some judicial judgements in India are also of the same kind. PERARIVALAN has presented his letter of appeal before pointing out the injustice meted out to him in the name of law. This booklet, I am sure, will pave the way for Human Rights Organisations and enthusiasts to fight unitedly for the abolition of death penalty. It may be found extremely useful in taking the idea of abolition to the people. 5.7.2006 Mettur. KOLATHOOR T.S. MANI President, Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam
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Henri Tiphagne
Advocate Executive Director, People's Watch Member, National Core Group on NGOs National Human Rights Commission of India
No.6, Vallabhai Road, Chokkikulam, Madurai - 625002 Tamil Nadu, India Ph No: +91-452-2539520 Fax: + 91-452-2531874 E-Mail: henri@pwtn.org
FOREWORD
"Save in the rarest of rare cases too diabolic to restore the criminal's human dignity, the sublime power of clemency, vested in the Governor and the President shall fulfill itself by saving life, never by slaughtering what God has created." - Justice V .R. Krishna Iyer. The debate on death penalty has once again come to the forefront with the former Kashmiri militant Mohammad Afzal being sentenced to death by India's highest Judicial forum, the Supreme Court. The Court has upheld the death sentence on Afzal in connection with the 2001 Parliament attack case. The execution threat will hang grimly over his head until and unless the President commutes his sentence. In India, it has never been a tradition to impose death penalty to a person who is not directly involved in an act of killing, until it was done in the case of Kehar Singh, one of the accused in Indira Gandhi's murder. With upholding death sentence on Mahammad Afzal, the Supreme Court has once again breached its tradition. Afzal was guilty not of murder, but of conspiracy to commit murder. He was tried under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) which does not prescribe death sentence for those who were not the actual perpetrators of the act of terror. Yet the Courts sentenced Afzal under a much harsher law (Section 302 of IPC etc.) Afzal's death sentence violates the Supreme Court's own guidelines, which say that capital punishment should be awarded in the 'rarest of the rare cases'. Hence, it is the constitutional and moral duty of the President to scrutinize the doubts raised on the issue and the shift from POTA to IPC for sentencing Afzal, so that miscarriage of justice can be prevented. In another recent significant judgement of the Bombay High Court, Arumugham Munuswamy Gownder, a 45 year old man, who was falsely implicated in a case of kidnap, rape and murder of a six year old girl in 22 An Appeal from The Death Row
Mumbai in 1995, was released from imprisonment. He was serving a life imprisonment in Yerawada jail after he was convicted in December 2000. His case came to light when the shocking details of the suicide note by police inspector Iqbal Abdul Qadir Bargir revealed that he was pressurized to register false cases, one of which ended in conviction with life imprisonment for Arumugham. On the basis of this statement, a division bench took suo motu notice of the case and appointed a judge to conduct the investigation. Though the one-man judicial enquiry committee submitted its report in 2002, no further action was taken. It was only in 2005 when Asim Sarode, a Pune based lawyer took up the case, Arumugham' s case was again considered and he was finally discharged from prison by a judgement passed during the first week of October 2006. This raises a serious question as to the credibility of the entire criminal justice administration system in India. What would have happened to Arumugham if he had been imposed a death penalty? Who is responsible for making his family life shattered? How will we compensate those years he was languishing in jail for no fault of his own? For those who had advocated death penalty for rape, does Arumugham's case convince you against death penalty? This has a serious implication in the present scenario as the number of offences attracting the death penalty in India has increased alarmingly and the 'rarest of rare' doctrine enunciated by the Supreme Court has been rendered 'meaningless'. Therefore, it is important to note that to take a human life after dismally low standards of justice makes the case for the abolition of death penalty all the more compelling and urgent. Looking into the recent facts and figures on death penalty, 88 countries and territories have abolished the death penalty for all crimes 11 countries have abolished the death penalty for all but exceptional crimes such as wartime crimes whereas, 30 countries can be considered abolitionist in practice in the sense that they retain the death penalty in law but have not carried out any execution for the past 10 years or more and are believed to have a policy or established practice of not carrying out executions, making a total number of 129 countries having abolished death penalty in law or practice. Unfortunately, India is not among these countries which have stopped awarding the death penalty. Perarivalan, the author of this book, is a clear testimony for the abolition of death penalty in the country. Having been on the death row
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for 13 long years now after the Supreme Court has turned down his appeal, it would be wrong on my part to even comment on the facts of the case or on the investigation but it is pertinent to note that Perarivalan has lived a model life as a death row prisoner not only for himself but for many others on the death row in the Vellore Central Jail. I used to visit him in jail regularly but he would never make those visits personal rather he would bring many others on the death row along with him. I realized that the humaneness that existed in the death row prisoners was higher than what exists amongst us who are outside. His mother Arputhamaal who visits him every Thursday religiously is for me the greatest mother for all those who are on the death row. The translated English version of Perarivalan's appeal from the death row has a greater objective and that is of touching the conscience of special persons who consider themselves infallible-the Judiciary, but the recent Arumugham case from Tamil Nadu, convicted and then released and now searching for his family after spending eleven years in the Yerawada jail raises a question to people as simple as me - any investigation officer with a true conscience involved in the Rajiv Gandhi case were to before his death make a confession to the Almighty (not to any of us) that Perarivalan was framed, would any of us know? Let us not politicize death penalty. It is the crux of humaneness to allow a person to live Perarivalan and many others who have been on the death row would be the best persons to teach, preach and live human rights. Thiyagu in Tamil Nadu is a living example. Cannot the State learn from a significant Thiyagu in Tamil Nadu, one who was on the death row and now is a public political figure in the State. I appeal that you listen to Perarivalan's voice. His voice is being echoed in the various central prisons of this country by many a persons who are on the death row. If after reading this book you are in a position to campaign, deliver a judgement, grant a remission, please act in favour of humanity and the right of humanity to live not to kill humanity and humaneness in this world. What you are ordering to kill, you have no power to do so, because you did not create him / her. Do not, therefore, take upon yourself a power that does not belong to you. 15.12.2006 HENRI TIPHAGNE
PUBLISHER'S NOTE
Though the Supreme Court has clearly held that the TADA act cannot apply to the Rajiv Gandhi murder case, it is the set of confessional statements recorded under TADA that has been the mainstay of the case. PERARIVALAN has in this letter of appeal brought out this anomaly citing many instances. This booklet was originally published in Tamil in July 2006, the Second came out the next month itself and was widely well-received. It is now being published in English to meet the demands of the non Tamil-knowing enthusiasts. Justice V.R.Krishna Iyer's Foreword was added to the second edition of the Tamil original itself and here it is given in its original English form. Justice H. Suresh, a former Judge of the Mumbai High Court and Kuldip Nayar, the Senior Journalist were kind enough to add their valuable forewords to this English edition. We would like to express our heart felt gratitude to these three great personalities for adding their mighty voices in support of this appeal from the death row. Comrade Kolathoor T.S. Mani, President, Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam and comrade Thiagu, General Secretary, Thamizh Thesiya Viduthalai Eyakkam, have contributed in their own ways to preparing and publishing the present booklet. This note cannot be rightly concluded without a word of appreciation and gratitude to People's Watch, Madurai, under the able captaincy of that great champion of Human Rights, Mr. Henri Tiphagne for sponsoring this publication. Thanks everybody, who contributed to this effort one way or the other. Thanjavur 2006 Dec. 25 K.MOHAN
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LETTER OF APPEAL
From A.G. Perarivalan Death row inmate Prisoner No. 13906 Central Prison Vellore-2. To His Excellency The President of India, New Delhi. Respected Sir / Madam! Vanakkam! I, A.G..Perarivalan, have been falsely implicated in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case and am imprisoned as a death row inmate. Because my mercy petition is under the kind consideration of the Honourable President of India, I have been allowed to live. I was arrested as a 19year old young boy and I have been languishing in anxiety and distress for the past 14 and a half years. Now I am 34 years old. I am the only son of my aged parents who carry the scars of a prolonged struggle to save my life. Though I am stranded in an island surrounded by sorrow, I have not lost hope. Because there are humane souls such as you, I believe I can conquer death. I had already sent a letter in 1999-2000 containing the details of the background of my arrest,illegal detention, the manner in which my signature on the confession statement was obtained through torture, contradictions in the statements, torment in the prison and so on. (Annexure-1) Along with that letter, I had also enclosed a document, which detailed the contradictions and biases in the Supreme Court Judgement (Annexure-2). I believe that you would have understood the justice in my case by perusing those letters. 26 An Appeal from The Death Row
In this situation, I am writing another letter not because along with death sentence, I am continuing to suffer imprisonment even after 14 and a half years, but, because there have been a few major turning points, occurred recently which I would like to bring to your kind notice. The first reason is the hope and happiness I have on knowing that the Honourable President has recommended to the Government of India to show mercy on me. My belief that my punishment would be changed was further strengthened by the letter from Mrs. Sonia Gandhi to the Honourable President expressing that neither she nor her family were interested in the execution of the death sentence imposed on the four persons including me. I am hopeful that the decision of the Government will be reflective of the wish of Mrs. Sonia Gandhi (since she heads the coalition that has formed the present Government) and the stand taken with a humane outlook by the Honourable President. The second very important reason for this letter of appeal is the Compact Disc (CD) and interviews given to magazines by Mr. Ragotaman, the Chief Investigative Officer of this case, and an officer of the Multi-Dimensional Monitoring Agency (MDMA) who retired in March 2005. Mr.Ragotaman says at the end of an interview given to the 'Kumudam' a Tamil weekly magazine dated 10 August 2005:"Even so many years after the assassination, only two questions don't have an answer so far they are: After the murder, Sivarasan and Suba escaped in an auto from Sriperumbadur. A third person also traveled with them. We still don't know who that was. We don't know who made the belt bomb which was worn by the human bomb Dhanu. Do any of you know?
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Interview of Ragothaman, the Chief Investigation Officer, Published in the weekly magazine of Kumutham dated 10-08-2005 is continued in pages 28-31.
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Likewise, in an interview he gave the biweekly Junior Vikatan, dated 31 July 2005 the final question and answer was: "Is there anything that could not be uncovered in the Rajiv assassination? "Only one matter remains... who made the belt bomb worn around Dhanu's hips... This is the only matter". Yes. My life and education have been falsely inter-twined. The hangers noose is round my neck because my life and education have been falsely inter-twined with the bomb, the secrets of which formed the seed of the investigation by the Multi Dimensional Monitoring Agency (MDMA) and could not be revealed or uncovered so far. The bomb - about which the Chief Investigating Officer says today that nothing could be known - was alleged to have been made by me according to the same officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation through media reports when I was arrested in 1991. I have also enclosed the copy of the Tamil "India Today" Magazine which carried that atrocious allegation, I request you to kindly go through it fully. When I was taken for investigation to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) office located in the first floor of the CBI office Malligai on the first day itself I was asked by DIG Raju about my educational Qualifications. When I said that I had a Diploma in Electronics and Communications Engineering, he asked me "were you the one who prepared the bomb?" I have already mentioned this in my letter of appeal (Annexure-I). They spread this misinformation through magazines, One such example is the above-mentioned magazine India Today. My parents believed that education alone was the only wealth they could give me and they made me study. I lived up to their expectations and studied with real interest. As a result, along with the name of a good student I completed my 10th standard and my diploma. 32 An Appeal from The Death Row
Interview of Ragothaman, the Chief Investigation Officer, Published in the bi-weekly magazine of Junior Vikatan dated 31-07-2005 is continued in pages 33-35.
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My teachers taught me the lessons of life; they did not teach me how to make bombs. Whether the education which I acquired through my parents' toil and my hard work was useful or not for me or my family members, I will certainly say that it was useful for the investigating bureau to falsely implicate me in this case and push me to the gallows. The same India Today magazine which baselessly alleged in 1991 that I was the bomb expert, published an article in 1996 entitled "Thuppil Thuvarangal (Holes in the investigation) While the essay pointed out several errors committed by the investigators (CBI, SIT), it also mentioned, "that no investigation had been carried out about the bomb" I would like to bring to your kind attention that the investigators filed a case in the Special Court against India Today magazine for having published an article that criticized the investigation process. My education, which was helpful for my being portrayed as a "bomb expert" in the beginning, later came in handy for the allegation that I had bought a 9 volt battery cell which is easily available in petty shops and is used in day-to-day life. Under these circumstances Sir, I would like to make it clear, how far I have been affected by placing before you the related evidences. In my case the judgement was entirely based on the confessional statements given under TADA In page 2660, para 80 of the judgement it is mentioned as follows: 80. For deciding the aforesaid major area of dispute prosecution heavily relies on the statements allegedly made by a number of appellants and recorded purportedly under Section 15 of TADA
And in page 2843, para 658, it is mentioned as follows: 658. To establish the charge of conspiracy to commit the murder of Shri.Rajiv Gandhi, reliance is placed mainly on seventeen An article published in India Today Magazine, dated July 6-20, 1991, portraying Perarivalan as a bomb expert, continued in pages 37 to 44.
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confessional statements made by the accused persons have been recorded under section 15(1) of the TADA Act. So, the confession statements obtained under TADA alone were used as the substantive evidence to give the judgement. Other evidences were used as corroborative evidence to prove these 'TADA' statements. Based on these facts accepted in the court, I place forward my arguments. 1. In what is being purportedly called my confessional statement, the following is mentioned about the 9-volt battery. "Moreover, I bought two 9 volt battery cells (Golden Power) gave them to Sivarasan. He used only these to make the bomb explode" In this case, the witnesses who were examined regarding the 9 volt battery are Prosecution 'Witness (PW) 91 Moideen, PW 252 Srinivasan, PW 257 Major Sabharwal, PW 280 Chandrasekharan. Of this PW 252, PW 257, and PW 280 are forensic experts. They have only given expert opinion about the 9 volt battery that was used in the bomb at the blast site. So, their evidence doesn't affect my case in any manner. The testimony of PW 91 Moideen who works in a shop is alone being connected with my case. I have also enclosed his testimony (PW 91) and relevant sections of the testimony of PW 266 Inspector Venkateswaran who is said to have recorded the testimony of PW 91 for your perusal. I wish to bring to your kind attention that in this case, of the 288 Prosecution Witnesses examined by the Court, only the reliability of the above witness PW 91 Moideen was Questioned by the Senior Counsel who argued the case in the Supreme Court of India on behalf of 25 petitioners.
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When you read the testimonies of the above two witnesses, PW 91, and PW 266, you shall certainly realize the falsity of the testimony of PW 91. Particularly, as said by PW 266, only because I didn't give any statement that I bought the battery from the shop of PW 91, the investigative officers could not file any such statement in the Court. That is why PW 266 says in his Chief Examination that I gave the confession on 15-08-1991 (page 6) in the cross examination he says that I gave the statement on 16-08-1991 (page 10 and 12), and again in page 15 he says that it was given on 15-08-1991. The contradiction is apparent. 2. I give below the relevant sections from the judgement regarding the wireless message dated 7-5-1991 (Exhibit p392) that is depicted by the prosecution as the most important evidence and document in the case and pointed out by the Supreme Court. Justice Wadhwa says in Para-429 and 430 in the State of Tamil Nadu v. Nalini and Others (AIR 1999, SC 2640) 429. On 7-5-91 Sivarasan sent a coded wireless message from Madras to Pottu Amman in Sri Lanka ( Exh. P.- 392) which, when decoded, reads as under:" She is the eldest daughter in the house of Indu Master. Moving closely. Our intention is not known to anybody except we three. I have told her that it is to have the support of the party who will be coming to power. Here V.P. Singh is coming. We are receiving. like that we are receving all the leaders. I am slowly approaching. If I tell our intention there is no doubt that she will stand firmlly on our side. We are moving with her closely, have full satisfaction. Girls are telling that the intention can be revealed to her, she can be believed. A portion of so called confession statement of Arivu on the purchase of 9 volt battery 46 An Appeal from The Death Row If I return I will return as your man. We are strong in powder business" .
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430. Here reference to" eldest daughter" is to Nalini (A-1) and Indu Master is Murugan(A-3). After hearing the arguments of both the sides on whether the 'TADA' Act (which served as the fundamental basis for this case) was applicable to this case, Justice Wadhwa used the above wireless message to decide that this conspiracy of murder will not come under the purview of TADA. He states the following in para 550 regarding this: 550............................................................................. ......The object to assassinate Rajiv Gandhi was kept a closely guarded secret. In the wireless message dated 7-5-1991 (Exh-P-392) from Sivarasan to Pottu Amman he conveyed that "our intention is not known to anybody except we three" meaning thereby himself. Subha and Dhanu. There is another wireless message dated 22 - 5 - 1991 (Exh:P-396) from Pottu Amman to Sivarasan that "even to our people in higher places we informed that we have no connection with this" meaning thereby that the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi a day before was not carried out by LTTE. While arguing the case of the first accused Nalini, justice Wadhwa cited the above wireless message and says in para 581: 581......................................................................... . .........She did have a lurking feeling that some action was in contemplation by Sivarasan, Subha and Dhanu. On 75-1991 she gets a positive feeling that they were planning to kill certain leaders. However wireless message (Exh. P-392), which was sent on 7-5-1991 by Sivarasan to Pottu Amman and which was intercepted and decoded, showed that till this date Nalini (A-l) had no knowledge about any conspiracy to kill Rajiv Gandhi. Further that till 7-5-1991 only three persons Sivarasan, Subha and Dhanu knew the object of conspiracy to kill Rajiv Gandhi. On 19-5-1991 she got a strong feeling that Rajiv Gandhi was the target but she continues to associate 48 An Appeal from The Death Row
with them. It was on 21-5-1991 that she agreed to associate herself with the killing of Rajiv Gandhi and become member of the conspiracy. While giving the judgement releasing the 16th accused Ravichandran from the case, Justice Wadhwa cites the above mentioned wireless message in Para 600 as follows:600.................................................................................. ......At one point of time Ravi (A-16) in his confession did say that he had a strong suspicion that the target was Rajiv Gandhi but that would certainly not make him a member of the conspiracy. In wireless message dated 7-5-1991 sent by Sivarasan to Pottu Amman he categorically stated that only three persons, namely, he, Subha and Dhanu knew about the object of conspiracy. Association, however, strong of Ravi (A-16) with Sivarasan and between Ravi (A-16) and Suseendran (A-17) could not make them members of the conspiracy without more. The above-quoted paragraphs from the judgement make it very clear that the case must have been viewed from two different aspects. That is, pre-7-5-1991 and post-7-5-1991. On the basis of the wireless message of 7-5-1991, since it has been made clear that no one else except the three, knew of the conspiracy, any action that took place before 7-5-91 cannot be viewed as a part of the assasination conspiracy - this will be the correct stand. Likewise, after 7-5-1991, the days on which each of the accused came to know of the conspiracy must have been made clear. Instead of that, the benefit of the above wireless message is used only for a few petitioners' and it has not been used in my case, which clearly shows the discrimination in meting out justice. Please don't consider this a criticism against the Court. I greatly value and respect the courts. Kindly consider this as an outpouring of grief.
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According to my 'confession' I had bought the 9 volt battery cell in the first week of May. This is reflected in para 262 and para 464 of the judgement where it has been mentioned that I bought it in the first week of May. Moreover, based on my confessional statement this was the 228th accusation in this case, and the punishment of life term was given by the lower court under section 4(3) of the TADA, where it was alleged that the battery was purchased in the first week of May. It can be seen from para 538 of the judgement as follows: 538....................................................................... .............by purchasing two golden power battery cells during the first week of May, 1991 which were... When you compare the above mentioned 'First Week of May 1991, with the wireless message, it would clear that neither did I know the motives of the conspiracy, nor did I buy the battery cells, knowing the conspiracy. I wish to place forward my argument in the following manner. As per the wireless message of 7-5-1991, the conspiracy was known only to three people. It was a secret to such an extent that they asked the permission from their leadership as to whether they can express their intention to the first accused Nalini who went to the site of the assassination and only on the day of occurrence, 21-5-1991, in the afternoon at 3 :30 it was told to Nalini herself. A 9 - volt battery is not such a rare object that in order to obtain it they had to openly tell me about this conspiracy of assasination. I wish to point out that it is just an ordinary object which can be obtained from petty shops and it is an object used in day-to-day life. 3. If you keenly go through my confessional statement about the 9 volt battery; "He used only these to make the bombs explode". in this there is nothing to show that it had been purchased knowingly. Also, in these lines there is nothing to show, when or through whom I came to know that he had used them for the bomb. 50 An Appeal from The Death Row
My advocate took up this point and argued it. It is seen in para 605. But the judge has baselessly rejected it. 605. ........................................................................ ......... Mr. Natarajan said that Arivu (A-18) was merely an errand boy and was following the instructions of Sivarasan and he himself had no active role to play. He said Arivu (A-18) brought the car battery and 9 volt golden power battery at the instance of Sivarasan and so also Kawasaki Bajaj motorcycle. He further argued that merely on these counts it cannot be said that Arivu (A-18) had knowledge of the conspiracy and that he himself did not agree to achieve the object of the conspiracy . Circumstances rather show that Arivu (A-18) was in the thick of conspiracy. He knew that to explode the IED power source would be 9 volt battery and that is why he purchased battery of that power and which was ultimately used in exploding the device killing Rajiv Gandhi and others. Mr. Natarajan also said that the version of Arivu (A18) that this battery was used for explosion of the IED was his knowledge derived after the explosion, cannot be accepted. The wireless message of 7-5-1991 is just an example to show that the above mentioned decision of the judge is contrary to the truth. Along with the above evidence, I wish to give stronger evidence. It has been mentioned by Justice Wadhwa in para 434 that Nalini, who is the first accused in this case, was briefed about the plan to assassinate Rajiv Gandhi only at around 3:45 p.m. on 21-05-1991 by Subha, who is a principal (deceased) accused in this case. Still, even Nalini was not told of how Rajiv would be killed (whether he would be shot at or bombs would be thrown at him, or by human bomb.) A sentence given in Nalini's confession is as follows:
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434 ........................................................................ ............She could see that Dhanu was concealing an apparatus under her dress... If it had been known earlier that Rajiv would be killed by a human bomb, then there was no chance for Haribabu who is included as one of the accused and conspirators in this case to have died in the site of occurrence. Had he known that Rajiv was going to be killed by a human bomb, he would have gone afar and protected himself like Sivarasan did, and thus Haribabu would have remained alive. The main evidence in this case, the Camera (Material Object -1) would not have come into the hands of the investigating department. Therefore like the wireless message of 7 -5-1991 which shows how closely guarded the secret of the conspiracy to assassinate Rajiv was, these above mentioned evidences prove that the method of assassinating Rajiv was also kept a greater secret. When this is the truth, there is no basis to state that I would have been informed of the great secret just to buy an ordinary 9 volt battery cell which is used in toys according to the testimony of PW 91 Moideen. 4. I want to present another evidence to prove the truth of my above given argument. After coming to the decision that the TADA act will not apply in this case, and after hearing both the sides on the next major allegation conspiracy (120B-IPC) Justice Wadhwa stated what should not be considered as acts of conspiracy. I request you to kindly go through the entire para 575 which deals with this aspect. I have extracted below certain relevant and important sections: 575. ....................................................................... .........We proceed to consider as to whether all or any one of the accused before us are members of the criminal conspiracy, still keeping in view the following aspects:52 An Appeal from The Death Row
1. Presence of LTTE on Indian soil before and after Indo-Sri Lankan Accord is undisputed. Its activities I went ostensibly under ground after the accord. LTTE was having various activities in India and some of these were (1) printing and publishing of books and magazines for LTTE propaganda, ...............(6) transporting of goods like petrol, diesel, lungies, medicines, wireless equipments and explosives and even provisions of Sri Lanka. 3. Sivarasan was having other activities in Tamil Nadu............................................................................. .............................. 4. In case of some of the accused including the deceased accused there is no evidence whatsoever that they were members of the conspiracy. Prosecution has been unfair to charge them with conspiracy. 7. From frequent and unexplained meetings of some of the accused with others, who have been charged with conspiracy, it cannot be assumed that they all were members of the conspiracy. This is particularly so when LTTE was having various activities on Indian soil for its war efforts in Sri Lanka ................................................. Careful analysis of sub points 1,3 and 7 of the para 575, would make it clear that even after the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord, the LTTE had involved in various activities in Tamil Nadu and at the same time they were being secretly carried out. Having this in mind, I request you to look into the following section of my confessional statement: "In April 1991, one day when Sivarasan came to Packianathan's house, he asked me whether I was ready to work for him. Packianathan had already agreed
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to work for him. Because Sivarasan was a senior LTTE member, I agreed to work for him" This section of the confession has been quoted exactly in para 464. That there was not even a little chance for me to have any connection with the conspiracy is clear from the above mentioned extract from my confessional statement. That is, since he is a senior LTTE member, and since I have agreed to work in the month of April itself, it would be correct to say that I bought the battery cell, car battery and motorcycle. But it cannot be said that, I accepted to the conspiracy of assasinating Rajiv Gandhi. 5. On the contrary, what evidence is provided to show that I knew of the conspiracy earlier or that I was a part of the conspiracy? I give below two sections from my confessional statement (Annexure-8) that was cited by the judges to raise accusations against me regarding this. In page 6:"Moreover, when I was there, I heard a lot about the atrocities of IPKF from the members of the movement and from the public. I also got the feeling that Rajiv Gandhi, who was the root cause for this, must be avenged". And in page 8 of my statement, it is mentioned: "Some Members of the LTTE's intelligence wing used to come to Packianathan's house. The important person among them is Kanthan and Sivarasan. Nishatan who was helpful to them, was also an important man. Even he used to come there often. Muthuraja was a close friend of Kanthan and Nishantan. Only he had told them that I and Packianathan were loyal to the LTTE. Even Tiruchi Santhan used to come there often. Kanthan used to come in a red Yamaha motorcycle. Nishantan also 54 An Appeal from The Death Row
used to ride it. I came to know that they often gathered and discussed only about a very important, dangerous act. I greatly suspected that the target was Rajiv Gandhi." I wish to point out with grief the wrong citation made, by Justice Thomas against me contrary to the truth. This is a very, very regrettable error. While mentioning the accusation against me, para - 270 runs as follows: 270................................................................................ ........The witness further said that A-18 was found fuming with hatred towards Rajiv Gandhi for atrocities which IPKF committed in Sri Lanka. It is said that I had spewed hatred against Rajiv Gandhi when I conversed with PW 75 Vasanthakumar. But what is the truth? The same judge, while mentioning about the fifth accused Vijayanandan says in Para - 179, says as follows:179. .... ......... ..................... ........... ... .... ..... ...... ... ... ... .... ............ (3) PW-75 said that A-5 stayed in his house and during then he was fuming with acerbity towards Rajiv Gandhi ................ The testimony of PW 75 Vasanthakumar in the court comes to 128 pages. Not even in one single place he has said that I have spoken so about Rajiv Gandhi. On the other hand, only the fifth accused Vijayanandan is said to have spoken so, according to the testimony of the witness. That is why Justice Wadhwa, while describing the testimony of PW-75 says in para, 465: 465. ..................................................................... Vijayanandan (A-5) used to talk about the atrocities
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Portion of so called confession statement of Arivu on the view of Rajiv Gandhi. 56 An Appeal from The Death Row
Portion of so called confession statement of Arivu regarding the relation with Sivarasan and others.
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committed by IPKF in Sri Lanka and his hatred towards Rajiv Gandhi. When there is not even a shred of evidence to show that I spoke about Rajiv Gandhi to anybody or that somebody spoke to me about him, citing a wrong evidence is to show that I spoke in that manner. I honestly feel that an enormous injustice has been done to me. I plead not to be misunderstood for having pointed out this. I stand at the threshold of death. I wish truth must not become a casuality. 6. On one side, a wrong allusion was made from a testimony. On the other, even when we consider the extracts from my confessional statement that are given above, there is no evidence to show that I knew about the conspiracy to murder or that I was also a part of this conspiracy . I furnish below a few extracts from the judgement that prove this. The Judge while delivering his judgement acquitting the accused Vijayan, Selvalaxmi, and Baskaran from the conspiracy says: 596............................................................................ . . . ...... The evidence that they had knowledge of the conspiracy is lacking. Their knowledge about the murder of Rajiv Gandhi by Sivarasan, Subha and Dhanu was acquired by them only after Rajiv Gandhi was killed. As we have repeatedly said in any case mere knowledge of the existence of conspiracy is not enough, one has to agree to the object of conspiracy to be guilty of the offence under section 120 A IPC.............................. Taking these legal delineations in mind, Justice Wadhwa while arguing about accused Nalini, says that though she might have had doubts about Sivarasan, Subha and Dhanu through their activities, though she might have cooperated with them despite the doubts, she 58 An Appeal from The Death Row
cannot be considered as a part of the conspiracy and that only on 215-91 when she agreed to associate herself with the conspiracy of the assassination she becomes a part of the conspiracy. This is given in a crystal-clear manner in Para 581: 581 ............................................................................. ............On 19-5-1991 she got a strong feeling that Rajiv Gandhi was target but she continues to associate with them. It was on 21-5-1991 that she agreed to associate herself with the killing of Rajiv Gandhi and became member of the conspiracy. ........................................ When you go through my entire confessional statement sir, can you find a single word in it wherein I had accepted and agreed to associate with the assassination conspiracy? According to the wireless message of 7-5-1991, only three people Sivarasan, Subha and Dhanu knew about the conspiracy of assasination. If only when one of the three had said it, there are chances that I came to know of it. In support of this, Justice Thomas while delivering his Judgement acquitting the fourth accused Shankar, says in Para 177: 177............................................................................... .........Of course the first among those circumstances has a strong tendency to create suspicion in our mind against A-4 (Shankar) but in the total absence of anything to show that the 9 passengers in the boat had talked about the assassination programme of Rajiv Gandhi or atleast that Sivarasan or Subha or Dhanu would have divulged it to others, there is great practical difficulty to fix up a premise that all of them shares any intention to murder Rajiv Gandhi when they set out on the voyage from that island to India. It must be remembered that LTTE had several activities even, apart from murdering Rajiv Gandhi. So merely because a person is shown to be an active worker of LTTE that by itself would not catapult him into the orbit of the conspiracy mesh in order to murder Rajiv
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Gandhi. It cannot be forgotten that a conspiracy for that purpose would be strictly confined to a limited number of persons lest, any tiny leakage is enough to explode the entire bubble of the cabal. There is no evidence to show that I had any introduction to Dhanu or Subha. Evidences are being shown to prove that I had connection only with Sivarasan. Therefore only Sivarasan could have told me about the conspiracy. But, as per the confession statement, there is nothing to show like that. It only shows that I didn't have any dialogue with Sivarasan. Kanthan, Nishanthan are not the accused in this case. So, there is no justice in the statement that I had doubts when they gathered and discussed in Packianathan's house. Hence in the assasination conspiracy which was a very closely guarded secret, how is it justifiable to have included me and punished? 7. I had already mentioned how my educational qualification was misused by the investigating agency and the news media. For the sake of increasing their circulation through sensation, we daily see the kind of wrong information that these media publish. But courts cannot be like that. I had believed that they function only on the basis of evidences. But para 604 (i) clearly shows how justice Wadhwa baselessly uses my education: 604. (1) After President's Rule was imposed in Tamil Nadu there were restrictions placed on the movement of the LTTE cadre in Tamil Nadu. Persons belonging to LTTE cadre went underground. Arivu (A-18) however, continued his propaganda work for LTTE with the material that was kept in a room occupied by Baby Subramaniam in the house of Shankari (P W-21O). These materials were removed by Arivu (A-18) with the help of Bhagyanathan (A-20) and deceased accused Haribabu in the month of April 1991 to the house of Radhakrishnan (PW-231), a 60 An Appeal from The Death Row
friend of Arivu (A-18). These were subsequently recovered and seized during the course of investigation and among the articles so recovered there was one black book (MO609), which depicted the electric circuit identical to the electric circuit in the reconstructed explosive devise (IED) (MO-722) used by Dhanu to trigger the blast which killed Rajiv Gandhi and others. Arivu (A-18) is a diploma holder in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering. It is my humble opinion that two particular matters mentioned in the judgement must have been proved. First, it must have been proved with necessary and relevant evidences that the circuit given in the "Black Book" (MO 609) matched with the reconstructed explosive devise (IED). (MO.722) But no investigation about the "Black Book" which is supposed to have been recovered from the house of PW 231 through Ex.P-1009 on 18-081991 was carried out till the charge sheet was filed on 20-5-1992. It is also a truth that no expert opinion was sought on this matter. This is mentioned by the chief Investigating Officer in his testimony on page 971 which is given below: "It is correct to say 'that the black book' said to have been recovered under Ex. P-I009, was not given to the Tamil Nadu Forensic Science Department Researchers and they did not give any investigative report about it" So though there was more than 9 months time, the 'black book' was not sent to the scientists PW 257 and PW 280 who reconstructed the explosive device in this case, to get their opinion. This is because there was no link between the two. At the same time, it is pertinent to mention here that the video cassette that was recovered Ex. P-l009 in which Sivarasan is purported to be there (M.O.143) and a photograph which is supposed to be Sivarasan's (M.O.632) were alone sent to the scientist PW 280.
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Hence, it is highly regrettable that without any evidence the Judge has compared the 'Black Book' with the explosive device that was used in the blast IED. Secondly, there is no evidence to show that I knew about the 'Black book'. I have enclosed the portions of the judgement para 391,442 and 464 that deal with this book. In any of those paragraphs there is no mention of any evidence to show that I knew about the book. Particularly, as said in para 442 it is seen that as per the request of Muthuraja, Arivu (A-18) Packinathan (A-20), Haribabu, all the three of them moved materials from Muthuraja's sister Shankari's (PW 210) house to Radhakrishnan's (PW 231) house. In this circumstance, when a 'tempo'-load of books were being shifted, an opinion is being created as if I knew of that one book and my educational Qualification is being linked to it. I feel that a great injustice has been done to me through para 604(i) of justice Wadhwa's judgement. I fear that perhaps only this wrong conclusion would have made him decide in para 605 that I already knew about the bomb used in this assassination. I have also mentioned this in para 7(iii) of my mercy petition to the Honourable President. We saw from the recent interviews given to press by Ragothaman, the investigating officer in this case, that they did not get any investigative result about the bomb. Based on the 'Jain Commission' of Inquiry , the Multi Dimensional Monitoring Agency of the Central Bureau of Investigation is continuing its investigation about the bomb. The final decision of that investigation will prove that I am innocent.
In such a situation, who can ever give back my life? 8. You have seen above the errors and discrimination in deciding the accused. My next humble argument is about the punishment meted out to me. In this case, on the basis of the majority decision, 4 persons were given death sentence and 3 were given life terms by the Supreme Court. The stand taken while giving the judgement and the major contradictions and discrimination in the reasons attributed for such punishment is given below for your esteemed perusal. Before I place the justice on my side, I request you to kindly keep in mind para 394 of the judgement of justice Wadhwa; 394. Dhanu is already dead in the blast. She was a human bomb. Principal perperators of the crime and others met their end during the course of investigation. They are all dead. They committed suicide. They are Sivarasan, Subha, Haribabu, Nero, Shanmugam, Trichy San than, Suresh Master, Dixon, Amman, Driver Anna @ Keerthy and Jamuna @ Jameela, all Sri Lankan nationals. So, in this case the principal perperators had died. My case was not viewed taking into account the notion of "Crime and Criminals" mentioned in the judgement of the Supreme Court in the case of Bachan Singh V . the State of Punjab. I have clearly mentioned this in the mercy petition sent to the Honourable President. 9. In p. 2696 of his judgement, para 347, Justice Thomas refers to the case of Bachan Singh, and says that while deciding the punishment, three factors have to be taken into account. They are: 347...................................................................................... ......Their Lordships accepted the broad contours of the circumstances cited before them by one of the learned counsel on having mitigating impact. The Constitution
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Bench has observed, on the aforesaid submission of the counsel, as follows:"We will do no more than to say that these are undoubtedly relevant circumstances and must be given great weight in the determination of sentence". Three such circumstances, which the court was told about are the following:
(2). There is no evidence that I had so far indulged in any criminal activities in an individual capacity, or that there is a threat to the society because of me in the future. On the contrary, I wish to place before you the relevant evidences to show that I had lived with a good name in this society. 1. Obtained 2nd rank in the 10th standard final exam and was given a certificate by the 'Jaycees' Association. (Annexure 13). The certificate obtained from the technological institute. (Annexure -14) The certificate obtained in the National Cadet Corps (NCC). (Annexure -15)
2. (1) The age of the accused - if the accused is young or old the sentence of death should be avoided. 3. (2) The Probability that the accused would not commit criminal acts of violence as would constitute a continuing threat to society (3) That the accused acted under duress or domination of another person. The following evidences would show that all the above given points are in my favour. (1). When the incident took place, I had not completed 20 years of age. I was born on 30.07.1971. In those days when death sentence was the punishment for murder cases was the general rule and life term was an exception to the rule, the judgement given in the case of Masalti Vs. the state of UP, was quoted by Justice Wadhwa in para 621. In that case, 10 people were sentenced to death by the lower court and the decision was upheld by the High Court. During the appeal in the Supreme Court, the sentence was reduced to life-term for three people only on account of their age (18, 23, 24) But these are days, when life term is the general rule for murder cases, and death sentences is exception to the rule and when judgement has been obtained in Bachan Singh Vs the State of Punjab on the basis that death sentence should be given only in rarest of rare' cases, how is it justified that my age is not taken into account? 64 An Appeal from The Death Row
(3) If you fully read my confession statement, and when you completely examine my case, you can see Sir that I did not act on my free will and I only obeyed Sivarasan's commands. So, why should I be given a death sentence, when my case tallies with the three guidelines mentioned in the case of Bachan Singh that is quoted by the judge? 10. Justice Thomas divides the conspirators of this case into 4 broad categories and states the following in para 349 of his judgement. 349. The conspirators in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination can be vivisected into four broad categories. First, those who formed the hardcore nucleus which took the decision to assassinate Rajiv Gandhi. Second, those who induced others to join the ring and played active as well as supervisory roles in the conspiracy. Third, those who joined the conspiracy by inducement whether through indoctrination or otherwise. Fourth, those among the conspirators who participated in the actual commission of murder. There is no evidence or allegation that I involved others in this conspiracy. There is no allegation against me that I played a supervisory
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role in this conspiracy. The only allegation against me is that I bought the things which Sivarasan asked me to buy for him. In this circumstance, how does justice Thomas include me in the second category and give me a death sentence? Having decided that they are conspirators, he gives life sentence to Robert payas (A-9), Jayakumar (A-lO), Ravichandran (A-l6) in para 356: 356. What remains is the case of A-9 (Robert Payas), AI0 (Jayakumar) and A-I6 (Ravichandran). They do not belong to the first or even to the second category. They were LTTE followers and they just obeyed the commands of leaders like Sivarasan who had the capacity to dominate over them. We are inclined to alter their sentence from death penalty to imprisonment for life. We order so. Please think in what way my case is different from the cases of the above three! 11. I want to put forth only this! I have been given death sentence for having bought the battery cell that was used in the bomb which is said to have been used in the incident. But, then tomorrow, what sentence is going to be given by the court to the person who made the bomb? I wish to state that the investigation regarding this is under the scrutiny of the Multi-Dimensional Monitoring Agency (MDMA) and the conclusions of their investigation will greatly affect my case. I have submitted my side of the arguments, which are based only on the evidences that have been completely accepted by the courts. The 'Truth' is totally alien to the prosecution's case, and is bitter; but this ordinary man does not have the power or the means to prove it. In the lower court, I engaged a lawyer at the Government's cost. The appeal in the Supreme Court could be argued because of donations 66 An Appeal from The Death Row
from the Human Rights activists and my kith and kin. Without their help, even this letter of appeal could not have been done. In this harsh background, with great effort I have placed before you my genuine case. 'Nalini' who is the first accused and the only person alive among those who visited the incident site according to the prosecution's case has her sentence reduced and I am unable to understand how, I qualify for a death sentence. In this 14 and a half years of solitary confinement, in the midst of several health problems including high blood pressure that I got because of the anguish in the prison, because of my good conduct, with the permission of the prison authorities I have finished several certificate courses and am currently in the final year of bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) course at the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). Given below are the educational degrees I obtained while in prison: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Certificate in Computing (CIC, Six Months Course from IGNOU). Typewriting in English (six months course) Typewriting in Tamil (six months course) Two Wheeler Mechanism (Three months course) Radio, TV Mechanism (Three months course) BCA (Degree Final Year from IGNOU)
You know that several Human Rights activists, literatures and writers voiced their opinion that my punishment must be reduced. Particularly, members of the public in my native place Jolarpettai in Vellore District observed a whole day's bandh on 14.10.1999. Above all there is a letter written by Mrs. Sonia Gandhi in 1999 to the President requesting that my sentence be reduced, (Annexure-3)
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the stand taken by the Honourable President regarding death row prisoners and the opinion expressed by the Honourable Chief Justice of India regarding death penalty, which have given me unshakable faith. I have written this letter of appeal and put forth my case with the expectation that you will also support the stand of these important people who hold the highest offices in our country. I don't ask to alter my death sentence on the basis that 113 countries, (which is more than half the countries of the world) have abolished the death penalty nor do I say to follow Gandhiyadigal, who stood on the pinnacle of humanism has said that, "Man does not have the right to take away a life given by god; even the state does not have the right to take away a life." Though the cruelties of death penalty have devastated my life, though it has pushed my family members into an ocean of misery, I do not seek my death sentence to be altered on grounds of humanism. Because, though my earlier life was full of human virtues and moral values, though I live according to the principles of the humanist 'Thanthai Periyar' who struggled all his life and died to make men respect each other as humans, though I take 'valluvar' who gave the general codes of living to the world as my guiding light, now in my situation if I talk about humanism it will be viewed motivated. That is why I avoid it. Then why I ask for the reduction of the punishment it is because "I know very well- I have seen as a young lawyer working in investigative cases in Thalaicheri. Innocents, 100% innocent people were hanged. They did not know any sin. Even now my heart bleeds for them" - former Supreme Court Judge Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer spoke this on 25-06-1998 at a 'Anti-Death Penalty' Conference that took place in Thiruvanthapuram. My life is an example of what he spoke about; with that distress I have put forward my case.
We have witnessed so many judicial errors that take place in the world when the innocence comes to be known only after the execution of the death sentence. Nobody could have forgotten Pandiammal murder case in Tamil Nadu. While the husband who had allegedly confessed to having murdered her was standing in the box, Pandiammal who was said to have been murdered by him appeared in the Court. The nation has not yet forgotten this. Finally. I give the summary of my case. 1. 2. 3. The case was argued under the TADA. All the rights given by the ordinary laws were taken away. In the end, the judgement was given that TADA will not apply to this case. Even after that, punishments were given based on the confession taken under TADA by the police officials. There is no evidence even in that 'confession' that I knew of the conspiracy, or that Sivarasan, Subha or Dhanu had told me about it
4.
5.
Above all, because of the draconian TADA. the chance of appeal at the High Court was denied. Had I another chance to appeal, I am sure I would have been acquitted. In this situation, I place that appeal before you Sir! Please give a good judgement. Please come forward to prevent the inhuman cruelty of an innocent man being hanged!. Ignore the false propaganda made in this case against me by the investigation department and the news media. Please help the life struggle of this man longing for truth.
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I wish to conclude my appeal with a couplet from Thirukkural of Valluvar. Knowledge is truth of things to find In every case, of every kind - Kural 423 Vanakkam! Yours truly, Dear Sir,
ANNEXURE-1 HUMBLE REVIEW LETTER

A.G. Perarivalan Ct. P. No. 13906, Central Prison, Vellore - 632 002.
(A.G. PERARIVALAN)
I am one of the accused in Rajiv Gandhi assasination case and my death sentence along with three others has been confirmed by the Supreme Court. I am making this representation with a heavy heart. I am facing death sentence, though I have not committed any offence. I still believe that ultimately Justice will prevail. I make the appeal, to you who values humanism and who is well versed with legal procedures. Also kindly permit me to share with you my inhuman, unbelievable torture experiences in police custody, the unlawful method of forcing me to sign a statement, my mental agony, lonely experience in prison and the nature of the case. I am confident that you will kindly go through this representation with sympathy and human love to understand the justice on my side. To me this is a step in my struggle towards the success of Justice in my case.
Background of my arrest:
On 11th June, 1991 at 10.30 in the night, my parents handed over me to CBI Inspectors Mr.Gangadharan, Mr.Ramasamy and one more person at No. 50, E.V.K. Sampath Salai, Periyar Thidal, Egmore, Chennai in the presence of persons associated with Periyar Thidal.
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Already on 10.6.91 and 11.6.91 investigations were made in my native place" Jolarpet", Vellore Dt., in the residences of supporters of Tamil - Eelam Liberation and Dravidar Kazhagam. At that time they also made enquiries in my house about me to which my parents responded by explaining that I was working and residing in the Computer Section in the office of 'Viduthalai' at Chennai Periyar Thidal. Also my parents brought the officials to Periyar Thidal to help enquiries.
Unlawful custody:
I was taken to the Malligai Office with the assurance that I would be sent back the next day i.e. 12.10.91. In Malligai, I was directly taken to a room in the upstairs. There were DIG Raju, S.P. Thiyagarajan, S.P. Saleem Ali and many others. I was enquired about my education and family background. When I told them my educational qualification - Diploma in Electronics and Communication Engg. D.I.G. Raju asked, " Are you the person, who made the bomb?" I was shocked, and struggled to understand in what way bomb making is related to my course. At that time I was wearing a shirt, in which there was a small hole in the bottom. Looking at it, he said, " is this hole due to the bomb blast at Sriperumpudur?" - I denied. Saying that I would admit only after a "right treatment", he handed over me to two inspectors. I was brought to the ground floor, I was forced to remove my pants and shirt and stand with' Jatty'. At that time inspector Sundara Rajan and two others ( I don't remember their names) beat my bare body with his palms. One of them crushed my toes with his shoe. Suddenly inspector Sundar Raj kicked at my testicles with his knees. I simply fell down with great pain. They continued their torture asking about incidents which were unknown, unrelated to me. The next day I was taken to a place called 'torture chamber' in the upstairs of Malligai office and was handed over to Inspectors Ramesh, Madhavan, Chelladurai and D.S.P. Sivaji. These Officers were notorious in torture at Malligai. Food and water were refused to me. I was not even allowed to pass urine. 72 An Appeal from The Death Row
Inspectors Madhavan and Ramesh directed me to stretch my hands, bend my knees and stand in a posture as if I was sitting in a chair. I was forced to be in that posture for long times. They were beating the back muscles of my legs with a stick using a PVC pipe filled with cement. Inspector Chelladurai forced me to stretch my elbows and beat them strongly. Inspectors Madhavan and Chellathurai were notorious for using vulgar and obscene words. Though others too used them, these two people' excelled' in them. I avoid mentioning those obscene words here for the sake of decency and also to avoid embarrassment. There was one person by name DSP Krishnamoorthy. He also tortured me. But he adopted a different method of torture. He forced me to sit on the floor with my back against a wall. He directed one guard to hold one of my legs close to the wall. He got hold of the other leg and forced the leg towards the wall making an angle of 1800 between the two legs. Words can not describe my pain experienced at that time. Inspector T.N. Venkateswaran also tortured me. He placed pencil as well as small sticks between my fingers and rotate them by pressing the fingers. He inserted pins into my finger nails. He crushed the small fingers of my legs with his shoes. He tortured me in such 'skilful' methods. I would like to cite an example to explain how CBI officials derived sadist pleasure in such tortures. One day I was taken from my room to torture chamber since one inspector wanted to see me. There I was asked to sit on the floor. Then suddenly beating the left portion of my face with shoes, the inspector claimed, "Yenda, (a derogatory term) you have murdered our leader after crossing from your country to this country". Inspector Madhavan who was sitting by his side, smilingly remarked, this fellow is not from Ceylon. He is from Tamil Nadu". Afterwards, I was sent back to my room. The reason for citing this experience is to explain the frame of mind of CBI officials who wanted to earn good name by forcing any
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person to become accused and during that process they tortured innocents even without knowing the identity of the persons as well as the crimes they were accused of. The name of the inspector cited in the above torture is Inspector Mohanraj. S.P. Thyagarajan was having his office in the ground floor of' Malligai'. Suddenly he used to call me late night at about 3 or 4 a.m. He would ask me about anything. I must talk continuously. If I sleep during that late night time, he would beat me. I was subjected to both physical as well mental tortures like this. I was subjected to maximum inhuman treatment and abuse possible. Till 19th of the month, when I was produced before the court, I was in unlawful custody and denied to have a bath even and brush my teeth. Unable to bear the bad odour from my body Inspector Ramesh permitted me to have a bath on 19th. Another reason for this permission was the necessity to produce me in the court. During the custody I was denied water. They told that they would deny water till I accept their false accusations. Later they would pour small quantities of water into my mouth. They did not permit me to sleep at nights. I was handed over to the custody of special guard to ensure that I did not sleep at nights. They would pour water on my face whenever I started sleeping. Even food was used as their torture weapon. I was tortured like this during the unlawful custody. Further I can cite many examples to explain how many innocents were tortured to accept accusation in this case. One day DIG Srikumar came and said. "Dai, my native KGF is near your native. You show me the place of any of the three things I mention. I will release you". I asked, "Sir, what are you asking from me?". He replied, "show me the place where an AK47 rifle, or a wireless set or gold bars are buried underground". I said, "I can give only if I have. How can I give when I don't have ?" To this he commented, "if that be so no one can save you" and he left the place. I would like to remind you that this same D.I.G. Srikumar was the person who is involved in the incident in which Kodiakkarai Shanmugam 74 An Appeal from The Death Row
was murdered and he is the one who has admitted to having lost in London, documents related to this case. My hands were chained all the 24 hours, day and night, even at the time of answering nature's calls. One chain in one hand would be loosened only when I was to take food. Even during sleep, my hands were chained. Thus the torture continued. Further the officials adopted different methods of torture. All these tortures were violent, painful and inhuman. At this juncture, I would like to draw your attention to some evidences of my unlawful custody. First, investigation officer D.S.P. Rahothaman had admitted in his evidence on page 942 that he raided my house at Jolarpet on 11.6.91 and seized eight articles. But in page 451 he had stated that he was sent by higher officials on 11.6.91 to enquire me. He had not denied that on 13.6.91 my mother came to Malligai with my dresses and she was not permitted to meet me and the dresses alone were received from her, and was later handed over to me. More than all these things, there was no mentioning of anything between 11.6.91 and 19.6.91 in my confession statement. As per confession statement I was arrested only on 18.6.91. But in the remand report it is found that I was arrested only on 19.6 .91 morning at 9 a.m near "Periyar thidal'. All these evidences confirm that I was in unlawful custody, subjected to torture and implicated in false case.
First appearance at Court

Thus I was taken on a false promise that I would be released on the next day, kept in unlawful custody for eight days subjected to torture and then on 19.6.91 I was taken to Chengalpet along with Robert Pyas, who is now undergoing life term imprisonment. At that time, D.S.P.Rahothaman, D.S.P. Ramakrishnan, Inspectors, Iqpaul, Ramesh and few others accompanied us. I was hoping that I would be released on that day and all my tortures would come to an end. I had that hope, since I did not commit any offence and had not gone to Court before.
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In these circumstances our van entered the Court complex at Chengalpet. At that time the officials named above threatened me not to open my mouth in the Court, and I would be released if I kept quiet. Otherwise, they would take me back to Malligai to continue the torture. Hence we were in a frightened condition. Then we were taken inside the Court. The Judge called our names and asked us to come forward. Later he told something to D.S.P. Rahothaman. We were sent to another room there, standing in the witness box, the D.S.P. was presenting some argument. Then we were taken before the judge. We were ordered to be in police custody till 18.7.91. We could not understand the reason. Again we were taken back to the torture chamber in Malligai. During that one month period of continued torture, we were subjected to torture at intervals too. To avoid visible injuries we were beaten on the soles of our feet with sticks and afterwards we were forced to jump. Thus the torture continued.
Later, after our return to Malligai office, D.S.P. Rohothaman asked me, "who were the people standing outside the Court Complex ?" I replied, "My parents had come there". He asked, " I am not asking that, there were around 200 to 300 people. Who are they? Did you ask them to come there"? I replied that, I did not know, Since I did not have the time to look at them and they might be my relatives. Moreover I asked how I could ask them, while I had been in police custody for more than a month? He got angry and slapped on my face. Then he instructed the inspectors present there to beat me. They could not cherish my relatives coming to the Court Complex and I was tortured even for that. Third appearance at Court and the mode of getting my signature in the confessional statement. For our third appearance, Court proceedings were held in the Poonamalli special prison in which we were kept. That prison Complex was adopted by the CBI to imprison and torture. From Malligai I was taken to Poonamalli sub-jail on 3.8.91. At that time D.S.P. Ramakrishnan was in-charge. Daily we were tortured by officials. The office in the sub-jail was actually a torture chamber in which I was tortured by PW:52 S.P. Thyagarajan to sign a document of several written pages with many dates. At that time few inspectors tortured me, I was not permitted to read the content of the papers and I was told that, I would be free if I signed them. I did not know about TADA act. Not only for me, for all the people in Tamil Nadu, TADA was new at that time. In that situation, I could not bear the torture and I signed that document according to their instruction with the hope of saving my life. But the same signature signed under threat to save my life is now-demanding my life. After signing under severe torture I was forced to get in to the horrible prison room and I simply wept there. The guard there on duty asked me, "why are you weeping ?" I explained every thing to him. Then he consoled, "the signature in police custody is not valid in Court. Hence whatever had been written in the document will not affect you". I believed his statement. He uttered those words with human love. There is truth in his statement. He made the statement
Second appearance at Court

For the second appearance I was taken to the Tada Court in Chennai High Court complex and was produced before TADA Court Justice Siddique along with Robert Pyas and Kodiakkarai Shanmugam. Around 200 persons, my relatives, were present outside. D.S.P. Rahothaman, D.S.P. Ramakrishnan and few others were also present in the Court. Justice Siddique was sitting in an upstairs' room and we were made to stand outside the room. The DSPs warned us to go and stand before the Judge silently and just nod our heads when the judge says something, failing which we would be subjected to continued torture, when we were handed over to them. We were produced before the judge one by one. The judge told that Police custody would continue till 16.8.91 and after hearing that we silently went outside. We were not permitted to stand there even for half a second. The Judge did not raise his head even to look at us. Hence due to fear as well as failure on the part of the Judge to make any enquiry we were unable to make any representation.
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on the basis of his familiarity with normal legal procedures. But the tragedy is that he did not know anything about TADA. I did not know TADA. I did not know the significance of confessional statements. I did not know the legal consequence of confessional statement. Still I signed because I was forced to sign. The same torture chamber, in which I was tortured, was converted into Court on 16.8.91 and the judge conducted the proceeding in that room. The entire complex was under the control of CBI. Before I was produced before the judge, DSP Rahothaman and other officers warned me. "If you say anything about the torture, we will again torture you and shoot you to death and we will say that you were shot to death while you tried to escape". The terrorising environment in the sub-jail, fear and ignorance of law forced me to close my mouth. My representations regarding my confessional statement and Supreme Court Judgement On the same day myself and Robert Pyas were imprisoned in Chengalpet sub-jail. There we were given the white dress of convicted prisoners. No other dress and materials were permitted. A Palm leaf mat, a pillow and a blanket were given to us. All these were in accordance with rules for death sentenced prisoners, which we came to know only later. At the time, we were ignorant of jail rules. CBI official DSP Rahothaman used to come to my room and conduct enquiry whenever he comes to the prison with a trial prisoner. At that time I was ignorant about the law that police officials do not have the power to conduct enquiry inside the prison. I had the feeling that I was in CBI custody; not in prison. To free myself mentally from these tortures it took a long time. After reaching free mental condition and knowing about TADA acts and confessional statements, I made a representation dated 11.2.92 explaining the method in which I was forced to sign and the torture inflicted on me that is Crl.. M.P.No.137/92 that has been enquired by TADA Court. 78 An Appeal from The Death Row
So called confession statement of Arivu which depicts the recorded events in Poonamallee subjail.
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TADA court order dated 13-03-1992 regarding the admissibility of the confession statement.
Details of remand extension of Arivu in Poonamallee subjail, where on the previous day the confession statement was recorded. 80 An Appeal from The Death Row
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On receiving copies of my confessional statements, I made a representation. In that representation also I have explained the torture inflicted on me to get my signature and requested the authorities to reject the confessional statements. I made this representation on 26.8.92. TADA Court inquired the same as Crl. M.P.No.582/92. Here I would like to mention a sad point. Supreme Court Judge Wadhwa in his Judgement in page 87 stated, "No complaint was made before the Trial Court, that the confession was the result of any coercion, threat or use of any third degree method or even playing upon the psychology of the accused". He had stated clearly that I did not make any representation. Infact in the representations dated 11.2.'92 and 26.8.'92, during the cross examinations of witness 52 S.P. Thyagarajan and during the questioning of 313 C.R.P.C I had explained how I was tortured and forced to sign in the confession statement. But it is highly unfortunate and depressing to know that the Honorable Judge had made the above statement ignoring these facts.
Prison sufferings
The marriage of my elder sister took place on 1.9.'91. I made a representation to the Special Court seeking permission to participate in the marriage. Though my presence as the only brother to the bride was important, permission was rejected. The marriage took place in a sorrowful atmosphere. As for as I am concerned, I was not treated as an ordinary prisoner. Instead of considering my prison behaviour, the social status of the dead person in the case alone was taken into consideration, new rules were framed for me. For example, I am put in solitary confinement even now. Though there are Supreme Court directions, prohibiting solitary confinement even for a death sentenced prisoner and though there are many precedences of suspension of death sentence to persons, for the reason of solitary confinement I am confined in a single cell for the past 9 years. Regarding this I filed a writ petition No.13359/ 91 in the High Court of Madras. Though there are some reliefs, in practice I am not permitted to have them.
Perarivalan
TADA court order dated 12-10-1992 regarding the admissibility of the confession statement.
83
From the year 1992, for three years, only blood relatives (i.e parents and own brothers and sisters, wife and children only) were permitted to meet me as per the new govt. order. Even my grand father and grand mother were denied permission. My grand mother made several representations to the govt. requesting permission to meet me. Later the High Court of Madras set aside the above mentioned Govt. order and my grand mother could meet me only after that. Only my parents and close relatives were permitted to meet me. Under the pretext of security, they too were subjected to severe harassment. Many avoided meeting me fearing these harassments. Even when my parents experienced these sufferings, they could see me only through a glass partition. A really tragic condition since visitors room was partitioned with fibre glass. Communication could be made only through signs. My mother could not even touch the fingers of her son, a horrible condition indeed. Not only my relatives even the advocates, who came to meet me in connection with the case also experienced this fibre glass horror. Hence we could not properly explain our case to our advocates. We made representations to the special court and High Courts. I can state that no prisoner can be denied the basic legal right of freely communicating to his lawyer. Even after the direction of High Court, we were denied till the end, the mutual reading facilities' with our lawyers. After we were imprisoned in the Poonamallee prison in the year 1993, the govt ordered that we should not be taken out of prison on any account. Hence we suffered many difficulties. Even to go to hospital we had to fight long legal battles. Since the Court was adjoining the prison wall, we could not even see the streets like other prisoners. I have seen streets and people only 7 times in these 9 years during change of prison and while taken for medical check-up. The entire complex of Poonamallee prison was laid with concrete floor and the top portions were covered with steel wires. During summer 84 An Appeal from The Death Row
times my sufferings are beyond words. I lost my sleep. I experienced mental agony. This mental agony gave me a 'prize' in the form of high blood-pressure-'Hyper tension' even at the age of '24'. Now I am taking tablets T.Atenold. T.Amplodipine.I underwent ultra-sono-gram examination in the year 1996 and 1999 and Echo-Cardio-gram examination in 1997. At present I am living with tablets. I have made representation to National Human Rights Commission in this regard. In 1996 the commission official Mr.Sharma visited and inspected the prison condition. For the past nine years, my condition has made my parents to suffer more than me. They had handed me over to CBI officials thinking they were the saviours of law. I am their only son aged below 20( date of Birth 30-7-71) when they handed me over to CBI officials. Not only my parents, even my 26 year old younger sister who had passed RE. Computer Science with First Class and who had postponed her marriage till my release, is also suffering.
Admissibility of confession statement

I am facing this situation though I have not committed any offence. Not only me even those who are associated with me are also subjected to the same punishment. What are the reasons for these ? The signatures in the so called confession statement in which my signatures were affixed using torture by police officials, who had actually written the Confession Statement are the reason for this punishment. Till now I have not committed any offence under TADA. Also Supreme Court has said that TADA is not applicable to this case. At the same time it is highly distressing to know that the Supreme Court has accepted the validity of a certain section of TADA which confers validity on confession statement taken by a police official under the inhuman TADA act. And death sentence had been awarded on this basis. TADA has been revoked and it is inapplicable in my case. In spite of that I had been in police custody under this law for 60 days. (That too 30 + 30), one year duration for filing charge sheet, no bail, depriving
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right to appeal to High Court, in-camera enquiry, secret examination of witnesses, validity of confession statement secured by police official and depriving of opportunity to prove innocence -all point to a long list of human rights which were deprived to us. Who can give back all these to us? Who can return all my losses due to human right violation listed above? Yet, I would like to point out certain things on the admissibility of my so called confession statement. 1) How can one believe the confession statements when it was obtained just a day prior to 16.8.91, the last day of Police custody i.e. on 14.8.91 and 15.8.91. after 60 days of police custody? All the 17 people who are said to have given confessional statements, have done so, just a day prior to the last day of police custody. How can the evidence of S.P. Thyagarajan witness 52 be admitted when he has functioned as part of the CBI/SIT team formed to investigate Rajiv Gandhi assassination case (Honorable Judge Thomas, page 35). Here I would like to state regarding other cases related to witness Thyagarajan to decide whether evidence of witness of Thyagarajan who had admitted to having recorded the confession statements. 'Front line' dated May' 95 had clearly explained about the case in Kerala State and the role played by witness 52 in that case. I hope this would explain reliability of witness 52 Thyagarajan. 3) Witness No:52, Thyagarajan, in his evidence had stated that just before 11 pm on 14.8.'91, he had taken steps for the first day to get confession from accused Robert Pyas in Poonamallee sub-jail. But the same witness 52 in a different place related to my confession had stated in his evidence that just before 11.30 pm on 14.8.'91, he had taken steps for the first day to get a confession from me. From this, it is clear that he had acted in a mechanical manner with the pre-prepared document.
2)
An Article published in Frontline magazine dt. May 19, 1995 unmasking the character of PW 52. Thiyagarajan, SP, who recorded the confession statements contd. in pages 87 to 90.
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87
Perarivalan
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The wrong attestation of PW 52 Thiyagarajan, for the so called confession statement made by Arivu. 90 An Appeal from The Death Row 91
Perarivalan
4)
At the end of the first day activity of my so called confession statement, the name of Robert Pyas is written instead of my name. If this document had been prepared in my presence would this name change have occurred? As per the confession statement I should be in Chennai on 3.5.91 and 4.5.91 but according to the evidence of witness 75 Vasantha Kumar, I was in Trichy with him on 3rd or 4th of the same month. According to my evidence I gave film role to Hari Babu. According to the statement of Backiyanathan, he gave the Film role to Hari Babu. According to the evidence under 164 Cr. P.C. of the witness 72 Ramamurthy, Subha Sundaram gave the film role. But, it had been stated that Hari Babu used only one film role in the place of occurrence. Ultimately I stand accused. How could this be? According to the statement taken, I had bought two 9 volt batteries during the first week of May. On that basis, I had been accused of buying the batteries on May first week. (Honorable Judge Wadhwa P .300). But, according to the witness 91 shopkeeper Mohideen, it was mentioned as the second week of May. According to Statement, Sivarasan used these two batteries to ignite the Bomb. But in the experts evidences No.252 Sreenivasan, 257 Major Sabarwall and 280 Chandrasekaran only one battery had been used. According to Statement, witness 75 Vasantha Kumar was a close confidant of Sivarasan. But he, in his evidence had stated that he did not know even the name of Sivarasan. According to Statement, my things in Backiyanthan's house were taken on 22.5.'91. But according to the evidence of investigating officer, witness 288, Rahothaman and document Ex.P.1344, the date 24.5.'91 was mentioned.
11)
According to my Statement, Sivarasan had requested me to inform. Subha Sundaram regarding the taking of the body of Haribabu. But according to Backiyanathan's Statement, I had gone to Subha Sundaram to get the House address of Hari Babu.
5)
6)
The above given particulars are only few examples. Many more like these can be cited. Such contradictions could not occur if actual facts were taken. It cannot be claimed all in the statements are false. With few facts, a story had been written to suit the desired case as desired by them. Death sentence had been awarded on the basis of such contradictions.
Favourable points in documents

Even if the documents are admitted in spite of my study repudiation they have some points favourable to me. I would like to place before you those points for your kind consideration. 1. According to the Statement I worked for LTTE on monthly salary. It is stated that I had worked for several LTTE members and I had agreed to work for Sivarasan, since he was a senior LTTE person. But no where it is mentioned that I had agreed to work for the assassination act. According to the wireless message dated 7.5.' 91 called Ex.P.392, the conspiracy was known only to three persons Sivarasan, Subha and Thanu. This had been accepted by Honorable Judges also. According to my statement, I had bought and gave to Sivarasan 9 volt battery, car battery and motor cycle, only before 7.5.91. Hence it is obvious that I did not know the motive behind the purchase of these things. According to statement, on the day of occurrence i.e. on 21.5.91, 9.30 pm I had been to a film with Backiyanathan. If I had prior knowledge about the incident and the conspiracy would I go to film, while the offence was taking place?
7)
8)
2.
9)
10)
3.
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(According to the statement, I came to know Rajiv's assassination, while I was returning from the film). 4. According to the statement, Sivarasan explained the information related to the incident on 23.5.91 morning and Nalini explained them in the evening. It is found that immediately afterwards, I felt that it was not 'advisable' to stay in the House of Backiyanathan and hence I left. If I had known the conspiracy before 21.5.'91, I would have gone to different place instead of staying at Backiyanathan's house. But in the statement, I had changed the place only, when through Sivarasan and Nalini, I came to know of the incident on 23.5.'91. It is found in the statement, that from Backiyanathan's house I had gone to my house in my native place Jolarpet. If I had committed the offence and if I was guilty, I would have gone to different hiding place instead of my own house. No investigation was conducted about the bomb supposed to have been used in this case. This had been mentioned in Justice Jain Commission report. The MDMA had been directed to enquire into this. Hence in future if investigation about the bomb is carried out and persons responsible for the bomb are enquired and if it comes to light that I was innocent, what would be my position? Tamil 'India Today' dated May 21 - June 5 1996 had published an article about the holes in the investigation about the bomb supposed to have been used in this case. I had also mentioned this in my 313 Cr.P.C. reply Statement. 7. Investigation official Rahothaman in his evidence from page 604 to page 608 has given evidence about the bomb. He had stated that the bomb and all related parts were soldered and bought by LTTE and was done in Srilanka. Hence the 9V battery was also soldered in Srilanka. There is no evidence to prove that Sivarasan had gone to Srilanka after May 1. Hence the question arises that who, when and where did the soldering work of 9 volt battery, supposed to have been bought by me was done?
I feel that the above given points are sufficient to prove that I am innocent.
My Prayer
I had not committed any offence according to law. Also I am innocent according to justice. Still more than the justice is on my side the fact that the diseased had occupied a high position only dominated and decided the fate of this case. I may be asked that if I had raised all the above points in my review petition, the Judges might have realised the truth. The fact is that my advocate in his review petition argument had placed more points than I have mentioned above. We have stated in our review petition about my innocence and injustices inflicted on me. Still justice had been denied. The tragedy is that justice Wadhwa in his order regarding the review petition had stated "Mr.Natarajan who appeared for the convict review petitioners submitted that he was not challenging the findings of guilt of the petitioners and was confining the review only on the questions of award of death sentence. I am confident that you will understand if you go through my written review petition. I had full hope in the justice of the Supreme Court. But I was disappointed in the worst possible manner. I hope that you would not consider this as my allegation against judiciary. I can confidently state that in my case, the truth is that there was an error of judgement by court. Also I know, that generally world will accept only the statement of Court. I am much bothered to establish the truth with intellectuals and human rights activists in you at last. I can confidently state that even though you could not sign my release order, if at any moment, you realise that I am innocent, that itself would be a victory for my release.
5.
6.
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You are aware of the big opposition to TADA. Also you know that the reason for the opposition is sec. 15 of TADA Act related to confession statements. My case was filed under this horrible Act. It is highly distressing to know that though in the end the Court had declared that we were not terrorists and TADA was inapplicable to this case, the Court had upheld the section of TADA related to confession statement and had awarded the maximum punishment of death sentence only on the basis of confession statement. The painful fact is that numbers 12,15 had demanded our life as the price for their game. Hence I could painfully recall the following rules of Lenin when I came to know of the judgement of Supreme Court. "Judges had supported worst possible crimes in the world. Hence, just because both the sides of a case are heard by judges, don't think truth will come out". Many times only the personal whims and fancies made the future of many a question mark. In the past there were many examples to this. In the past when Kehar Singh was hanged brutally, none raised their voice. But today I have realised that my position is not like this. I am happy to state it here. The voices raised for me encouraged me. They show the seed of confidence about my future. This representation of mine is no hollow emotional outburst. They are the truths in the mind of the person who is innocent. I have belief that ultimately truth will triumph. The facts happened within the four walls shall be known to many. This representation is its result. Sometimes in my long struggle for justice this letter might cause the joining of many more hearts of human love. Hoping for the same, I am writing this eagerly. My prayer is kindly consider this letter with an open mind and judge strictly according to law.
Kindly look at the sacrifices and commitment of a mother fighting for justice to her son for nine years. Truth must triumph atleast for her perseverance to get justice. Kindly help. To me, there is no prior example of a person who sought for justice after the confirmation in the Supreme Court. Still I plead. To that extent I had suffered injustice. Kindly wipe out my sufferings. Let suffering end with me. Let justice be equal to all when the sun rises the next morning. Let the murder of innocents using law end. I conclude this representation for justice citing the quotation of Thiruvalluvar who had given a common code for the world. Whatever be the nature of a thing getting the truth in that thing is reason. Let justice be won. Your's lovingly,
A.G. Perarivalan
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Procession taken by Human Rights Organisations of all parties, demanding that the death sentence given to the four people be withdrawn. The appeal was submitted to the Tamilnadu Chief Minister Kaligner M. Karunanidhi on 30-11-1999.
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Show Mercy to the four Tamils - Appeal with Blood Signaturers - Bangalore, Dec 1999 Tamilnadu Writers conference against Death Sentence - 27-11-1999
CHENNAI
Procession to Abolish Death Penalty - Pondicherry 29-12-99
Human Chain for the abolition of Death Sentence - January 2000.
Abolish Death Penalty-uphold human rights Propaganda Campaign - 13th July 1999.
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Dear Readers Thank you for going through this book. The contents of the book might have caused a shift in the stand you had so far on Death Sentence or / and you might have initiated some action programme for the abolition of Death Sentences. If so, kindly pass on the details to the address furnished below, for the author wishes and hopes that his book kindles a Peoples Movement against capital punishment.
Address :
ARPUTHAM KUYILDASAN 11, K.K. Thangavel Street, Periyar Nagar, Jolarpettai - 635 851. Telephone : 04179-241503. E-mail : arputham48@yahoo.com To read this book on website : perarivalan.blogspot.com
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An Appeal From The Death Row - Rajiv Gandhi Murder Case - The Truth Speaks - Perarivaalan

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An Appeal From The Death Row - Rajiv Gandhi Murder Case - The Truth Speaks - Perarivaalan

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An Appeal from The Death Row

Thiruvalluvar Periyar Maanuda Ondriyam

5 6-10 11 12-13 14-15 16-19 20-21 22-24 25 26-70

An Appeal from The Death Row

V.R. KRISHNA IYER

JUSTICE V.R. KRISHNA IYER'S FOREWORD

An Appeal from The Death Row

An Appeal from The Death Row

10 An Appeal from The Death Row

FOREWORD A CONSCIENCE - KINDLER

P. Nedumaran President Thamizhar Desiya Iyakkam

12 An Appeal from The Death Row

FOREWORD HANGING IS ANATHEMA TO HUMAN CIVILISATION

18 An Appeal from The Death Row

24 An Appeal from The Death Row

28 An Appeal from The Death Row

30 An Appeal from The Death Row

34 An Appeal from The Death Row

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62 An Appeal from The Death Row

68 An Appeal from The Death Row

ANNEXURE-1 HUMBLE REVIEW LETTER

70 An Appeal from The Death Row

First appearance at Court

Second appearance at Court

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82 An Appeal from The Death Row

Admissibility of confession statement

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88 An Appeal from The Death Row

Favourable points in documents

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94 An Appeal from The Death Row

96 An Appeal from The Death Row

98 An Appeal from The Death Row

100 An Appeal from The Death Row

Procession to Abolish Death Penalty - Pondicherry 29-12-99

Human Chain for the abolition of Death Sentence - January 2000.

102 An Appeal from The Death Row

104 An Appeal from The Death Row

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